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I grasped the end of the letter tube. She clung to it for a second before letting go.
She s right, though, I said to Clay. We need to be more careful about this. Someone could break in
and ransack our room looking for it.
He nodded. Someone who knew where we were staying.
Because that person specifically asked for our hotel phone number. Someone who must have figured
out what we are, so she knew she needed a potion to cover her scent when she broke in.
Someone who can cast blur spells, knockback spells, probably cover spells too& which is why we
didn t see her in the bathroom.
Anita looked from Clay to me. I don t think I follow. Did someone break in
Earlier, you asked me where we were staying. You knew we had a reason to move last night.
She laughed. No, dear, I have a very poor memory. I completely forgot that you told me which
hotel
She lunged for the letter, slamming Clay with a knockback spell. I dove to cut her off, but her fingers
wrapped around the tube as she cast another spell. Her form blurred and, for a second, she seemed to
disappear.
Elena!
Clay sprang to his feet. A blur appeared at my shoulder. I spun out of the way as fingers grazed my side.
The blur faltered, thrown off balance. She hit the nightstand, sending the lamp crashing to the floor. I
lashed out, but missed. The blurred form raced for the door. Clay ran at her and threw himself down in
her path. Anita tripped over him, reappearing as she struck the floor. I raced past her and grabbed the
dropped letter.
Elena!
I wheeled as Anita s hands flew up in a knockback spell. Our eyes met and she faltered, giving Clay
time to roll up from the carpet. He charged, grabbed her by the back of her blouse and threw her over
his shoulder. She hit the floor lamp, taking it down with her. Clay stalked over. She tried to scramble
backward, out of his range, but he kept coming. Finally he was above her. Her lips parted in a spell, but
she was shaking too badly to get the words out.
Clay, I murmured.
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He hesitated, then backed off. I stepped into his place.
Playing games doesn t go over well with us, I said. We take them seriously.
I reached down and helped her up.
Sit there, I said, gesturing at the chair. Then tell us the real story behind the letter the one that has
something to do with immortality.
She still tried to protest and sidetrack us, but finally told us the letter s history, the one she d known
before she d approached Shanahan to see it.
The story went that a sorcerer had created the portal. He d been finishing work on an experiment, one
that promised a form of immortality. A common enough type of experimentation, but something about this
one made other supernaturals think he may have actually hit on a way to do it. Some wanted to steal his
research. Some wanted to stop it. So he created the portal to hide, and put the trigger in the paper used
to make theFrom Hell letter.
When Anita was done, I told her Hull s version of the tale.
She frowned. That seems like a blending of the two stories the half-demon one and the immortality
experiment one. Perhaps that campfire tale bears more truth than one would imagine.
I said nothing. After a moment, she continued.
The demon s boon may be immortality. Or the secret to it. The sorcerer only created the portal it was
the half-demon Jack the Ripper who hid inside.
And will be unleashed to wreak unholy terror on an unsuspecting world, Clay drawled. He s doing a
half-assed job of it so far.
Maybe he s just warming up.
Two hours later, Jeremy walked into our room, looked around and sighed.
So much for resting, he said as he righted the broken floor lamp.
It wasn t us, I said. Anita Barrington stopped by and all hell broke loose.
Another sigh.
You think I m kidding? Seems Shanahan wasn t the spellcaster who broke into our room last night.
We told him what had happened.
And after all that plus nearly giving me a concussion last night she had the gall to ask again if she can
speak with Matthew Hull.
Probably hoping he knows more than he s saying, which, after speaking to him today, I doubt. But as
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for the letter, I can t imagine what she hopes to learn from that.
Our theory? She s hoping to use it as leverage with Shanahan. If the zombies seem to want it back,
what better offering to the man she believes may hold the secret to immortality.
Did you confront her on that?
I shook my head. It seemed better not to. Not yet.
Good. She may still prove useful.
Our lunch having been interrupted, we ate a delayed one with Jaime, Nick and Antonio in the hotel
restaurant. The restaurant was bright and open, with huge windows and market umbrellas the feel of
eating on a patio without the bugs, heat and smog.
According to Jeremy, Hull had scored about 80 percent when he d quizzed him on the geography and
minor current events of 1888 London the kind of things it would be hard for a nonresident to answer,
but equally hard for a resident to get perfect.
Jeremy had even mentioned that we had a source who might attempt to contact Jack the Ripper through
the portal tonight, to see how Hull reacted, but he d been all for it, and even offered to help, making no
attempt to retract or change his story.
The server appeared with our plates before he could continue.
So, Clay said after the server left. He seems legit. But besides winning the sympathy vote, can he do
anything for us?
Antonio opened his mouth to answer, but Nick cut in. He thinks he can lead us to Shanahan. He says
he can feel a pull or something, like Shanahan is trying to control him. He s offered to try following that
pull tonight.
Antonio swirled a french fry through his ketchup puddle, gaze down.
You aren t buying it, I said.
It felt like when a middle manager books a meeting with me, shows up and swears he can get some big
industry name on board for a joint project because his third cousin married the guy s niece. He might
have convinced himself he has an in, but all he s really doing is trying to find an in with me, to get the
attention of the guy whose name is on the sign outside. Hull might think he feels some connection to
Shanahan, and he ll probably try his damnedest to make it work, but what he really wants is some
connection tous, to make himself seem useful so we ll help and protect him.
Parasite, Clay said.
Antonio nodded. A harsh way of putting it, but yes. Still, can you blame the guy? He s lost and alone in
a strange world. All he wants is a little of our time.
I glanced over at Jeremy. So are we going to give it to him tonight?
Yes, but only because it s a lead, and we don t have many else to follow.
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You do have one more, Jaime said, then looked up from her salad and met his gaze. Dimensional
portal fishing, courtesy of your very underworked necromancer.
After eating, we switched hotels& again. Dealing with Anita Barrington was a complication we really
didn t need.
Notorious
JAIME STOPPED AT THE END OF THE PORTAL ROAD. THISis it?
It s not going to be easy, is it? I said.
Jeremy warned me it was a residential area, but I figured, being downtown, that meant high-rises,
walkups, busy roads& She scanned the empty street. & people. We re going to be a tad obvious,
conducting a séance at dusk, in the middle of the road.
If it s not going to work
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